Smart Bets: Sigur Rós

There is nothing about Icelandic post-rock band Sigur Rós that is not exotic, from the dreamy, sweeping instrumentals to front man Jónsi Birgisson's ethereal falsetto. You don't listen to Sigur Rós so much as absorb the otherworldly soundscapes and sonic tapestries they weave with bowed guitar, keyboards, samples and auxiliary instruments (glockenspiel, toy piano, oboe). This June, the band released its seventh album, Kveikur, with the densely metallic single "Brennisteinn." The whole album, a bracing sea change from last year's Valtari, quakes and shudders at its dark heart, all haunted chasms and sinew. The dream-pop, here, is fractured by industrial tumult and shrill feedback that moves like icebergs luring ships to a watery grave. That's probably got something to do with why they've just been tapped for an appearance in season four of Game of Thrones. The band plays the U.S. Cellular Center on Saturday, Sept. 28. 8 p.m. $38/$43. ticketmaster.com. Photo by Ryan McGinley

About Alli Marshall

Alli Marshall is the arts writer and editor at Mountain Xpress. She's lived in Asheville for more than 20 years and loves live music, visual art, fiction and friendly dogs. Alli is the author of the upcoming novel "How to Talk to Rockstars," available from Logosophia Books in May, 2015.